The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service on Dec. 4 released a report on exporting to Costa Rica, detailing opportunities for U.S. agricultural products, exporter “business tips,” key “market drivers,” food standards and more. USDA said U.S. food products have a wide customer base in Costa Rica and the country’s demand for healthy, gourmet and niche snack items is increasing.
The State Department OK'd a potential military sale to Australia worth about $132 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Dec. 4. Under the proposed sale, Australia would get 155mm ammunition, accessories and related equipment. DSCA said the principal contractor will be “determined at a later date” and the equipment could “potentially be sourced from a combination” of Defense Department Stocks and “new procurement.”
The Defense Department on Dec. 3 released another list of Chinese companies with ties to the country’s military, including Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, China’s top chipmaker (see 2011300038). The other companies are China Construction Technology Co. Ltd., China International Engineering Consulting Corp. and China National Offshore Oil Corp. The Defense Department said it designated the companies to “highlight and counter” China’s military-civil fusion efforts, adding that China’s government uses what appear to be civilian entities to acquire advanced technologies. DOD released two similar lists earlier this year (see 2008300001 and 2006250024) and said it will continue to update the lists.
The Bureau of Industry and Security corrected its September revision of the Export Administration Regulations, which implemented export control changes made by the 2018 Wassenaar Arrangement plenary (see 2009100027). The corrections, issued in a notice released Dec. 3, address errors that were “unintentionally introduced” in Export Control Classification Numbers 3A001, 3A002, 3A991, 5A002, 7A005 and 9E003, BIS said. It said the corrections do not change BIS policy or affect licensing requirements.
The State Department approved six potential military sales to South Korea, Brazil, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Croatia worth a combined $1.54 billion, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Dec. 1. Under the proposed sales, South Korea would get two “MK 15 MOD 25 Phalanx Close-In Weapons System Block 1B Baseline 2 systems” worth about $39 million. Raytheon Missile and Defense will be the principal contractor. The sale to Brazil includes “MK 54 Lightweight Torpedoes” for $70 million. Raytheon Integrated Defense System will be the principal contractor. Canada would get $275 million worth of “C-17 Sustainment and related equipment.” The principal contractor will be Boeing. Saudi Arabia would receive about $350 million worth of “technical assistance and advisory support” for its defense ministry for an additional five years. The sale does not have an associated prime contractor. Lebanon would get 300 “M1152 High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicles” worth about $55.5 million. The principal contractor will be American General. The sale to Croatia includes 76 “M2A2 Operation Desert Storm (ODS) Bradley Fighting vehicles” worth about $757 million. BAE Systems and Raytheon Missile Systems will be the prime contractors.
The Defense Department plans to add several more Chinese companies, including its top chipmaker, to a blacklist of firms with ties to the country’s military (see 2011230007), Reuters reported Nov. 29. The additions to the list, which have not yet been published, include Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC), China Construction Technology Co. Ltd. and China International Engineering Consulting Corp., Reuters said. The companies will likely fall under President Donald Trump’s November executive order to ban Americans from investing in Chinese military companies (see 2011130026).
The Bureau of Industry and Security is seeking comments on how the Chemical Weapons Convention affected certain U.S. “commercial activities” this year, the agency said in a notice released Nov. 30. BIS plans to use the comments as it prepares its annual certification to Congress on whether CWC regulations on Schedule 1 chemicals harm “legitimate commercial activities and interests of chemical, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical firms.” Comments are due Dec. 31.
The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls will hold a webinar Dec. 9 on using the Defense Export Control Compliance System licensing application, DDTC said in a Nov. 26 notice, which includes login information. The webinar also will cover the state of DECCS, system statistics and a self-service tools demonstration.
The State Department is seeking comments on an information collection involving requests to change end-user, end-use and “destination of hardware” information, the agency said in a notice released Nov. 27. Those requests are submitted to the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls before DDTC can approve exports of certain defense goods to parties other than those stated on a license. Comments are due Dec. 28.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service issued a guidance Nov. 20 on exporting “small-sized” individual product samples to “interested buyers in Japan.” The guidance is intended for companies that depend on trade shows and travel to showcase their products in Japan but have been unable to do so because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also provides information on duty-free shipments and import notification exemptions for U.S. exporters.